Big ice? No worries. Defensive inexperience? No worries there, either.
Memo, Olympic hockey teams: The United States of America are shaping as legitimate contenders in Sochi. Their impressive 7-1 demolition job of a Slovakian team I thought would press the Americans far more than they did leads into a massive contest against host nation Russia in two days’ time, one that might give a better indication of where the medals might go as the men’s tournament gets into overdrive.
Right from the outset, the Americans were top-notch. If the larger ice surface was a problem for the Team USA skaters, there was little indication of it out on the ice where it counts. They thoroughly and completely dominated a Slovakian team who, admittedly, is without some big-name superstars, Columbus Blue Jacket sniper Marian Gaborik chief amongst them, but is still full of NHL players.
The controversial selection in goal, Jonathan Quick, was solid, and should really have celebrated his first Olympic start with a shut-out, for the lone Slovakian goal, a wicked blast from Detroit Red Wing Tomas Tatar, resulted from a play that was clearly offside, but not whistled so by the referees right at the beginning of the second period.
A second or two later, the only Slovak tally was on the board, and Quick’s bid for a perfect start to the tournament went up in smoke. Even so, he made twenty-two stops and looked good, but whether he will cede the crease to 2010 hero Ryan Miller for the Russia game remains to be seen.
Perhaps it was the injustice of a goal from an offside play that really brought the Americans to life. Like a bear emerging from a long winter hibernation, the offensive weapons cranked into gear, and were from that point on basically unstoppable. When the smoke settled, the big scoreboard at centre ice read 7-1, an emphatic American triumph.
Obviously, when a team who has only recently come together as a proper unit scores seven goals, there’s plenty to like. Let’s start up forward: entering the tournament, there was little concern about Team USA’s ability to put the puck in the back of the net, and the first-up rout does little more than confirm that. It should also serve as a wake-up call to the Russians ahead of Saturday’s game, and to everyone else, too.
The Americans scored early and often, a red-hot second period netting them six goals, and, like they chased Finland’s Mikka Kiprusoff in a semi-final rout four years ago, the Americans banished Slovakian goalie Jaroslav Halak in favour of Peter Budaj. Halak had been rocked by the USA offensive, and now must look ahead, exercising the amnesic streak that goalies need to possess, to get ready for Slovakia’s next game against the Slovenians.
From a Team USA perspective, the change of goalies was perhaps the most pleasing thing of all for Dan Bylsma and his assistant coaches. It’s always a good day when you send the other team’s starting net minder off for an early shower. There was no scoring in the final frame, but it scarcely mattered. The message had been well and truly delivered.
Colorado Avalanche star Paul Stastny opened his Sochi campaign in grand style scoring two goals, Phil Kessel of the Toronto Maple Leafs was a constant offensive force, tallying three assists, and Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane was ever-present, as he is nightly in the Madhouse on Madison. You get the feeling that #88 in red, white and blue is going to cause teams some trouble over the next couple of weeks.
Two goals in 1:05 and six goals in a few ticks less than fourteen minutes and surely the rest of the world were sitting up, taking notice, and wondering about how they might stop an American outfit that should be talked about in the same breath as Canada and Russia as far as the ability of their offense to not just score goals, but to create scoring pressure.
Perhaps a more defensive struggle might have benefitted the young, mostly-inexperienced defensive squad, but you can’t be unhappy with a game – especially the first game of a tournament – that ends decisively in your favour, and ends, too, with seven goals scored. In such a short tournament, team chemistry right out of the gate is worth a lot, and there’s nothing like a tonne of scoring shots to help build that.
Opposite the Americans, the highly-fancied Canadians struggled past Norway, doing just enough to beat a team with only one NHL representative 3-1. It’s an interesting thing to consider, the difference between the way the two Gold Medal Game combatants from four years ago opened this tournament.
Displaying similar form to last night, there’s a good chance that USA will be amongst the medals when they’re awarded in a couple of weeks, and we might well look back on this 7-1 hatchet job as the beginning of a very special run.
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